


Of all the Gin Joints in all the World

by v0ltaire



Series: The Jersey Gothic [1]
Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe, Slight Parody?, vaguely homophobic language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 13:51:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18829972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v0ltaire/pseuds/v0ltaire
Summary: The guy took Frank’s hand with a gentle but decisive one, two, three pump shake. So decidedly, he was neither a queer nor a serial killer, which was only slightly disappointing.





	Of all the Gin Joints in all the World

**Author's Note:**

> this started out as me wanting to do the jersey equivalent of a southern gothic au but i gave up, also an exercise in paragraph long sentences, this prose is so uglee >:D

Frank Iero was about 5 feet of apathy and 6 inches of being mostly sober enough to regret it in the morning, but— the thing was, in a town like this in the middle of goddamn nowhere you knew everyone, and— the thing was, that this guy at the end of the bar was no one to him, as well as— the fact that it was the last day of the last week of school, and— the point was that even if the No One turned out to be no one, Frank wouldn’t lose much but his own damn time. Which, at 18, isn’t worth much to most.

So, instead of stumbling home with the promise to his uncle (the bartender) that he’d call when he got there, he paid his tab and slid off the stool only to inhabit the one next to no one. The first rule of vetting potential serial killers and/or homosexuals was to shake their hand, so Frank offered his to the stranger.

Now, the guy only eyed him suspiciously at first, a bright eye peaked through the dark of his bangs and honestly Frank was convinced that guy could be both a queer and a murderer cos no one round here had that kind of a ‘do. 

The guy took Frank’s hand with a gentle but decisive one, two, three pump shake. So decidedly, he was neither, which was only slightly disappointing.

“I’m Frank,” said Frank, his voice only wavering slightly. The guy gave him a small, friendly smile and nodded. He took the cigarette from his lips and ashed into his glass, still half full. 

He sat up a little straighter and looked Frank in the eye, head on he said, “I’m Gerard.”, and took another drag before putting it out on his thigh. 

Frank winced at the black stain on the stranger’s jeans, not sure if that was typical or some attempt to appear like a badass. Either way it wasn’t any weirder, Frank looked back up and gulped. He stuttered, “You’re not... from around here, are you?”

Gerard laughed, “What makes ya think that?”

Frank shook his leg, he could feel the cold air of the door opening across the room in contrast to the sweat on his neck. He breathed shallowly through his nose, aware now of just how small he was. Of his disadvantage in this situation, he felt then, for the first time, that he should not be there.

He shrugged, finally, and Gerard leaned into the small space between them. His teeth seemed to glow as he smiled, his lips slick and wet as he smacked them. He said, “As a matter of fact, Frank, I am from around here.”, and sat back up straight, “I’ve been away to study some, for a while. I wasn’t out much even when I was around, though.”

Frank puzzled that, a vague something that didn’t give even just enough, “What’d you study?”

Gerard shrugged, “Nothing interesting.”, his hand inched absently along the counter of the bar. Frank stiffened further, he wondered where his body would be dumped by the end of the night.

“How old are you?”, Gerard asked.

Frank said, “Eighteen.”, without a thought. When it dawned on him, he met Gerard’s eye cautiously, feeling all the more vulnerable, but Gerard hadn’t reacted. Just hummed, bringing that hand to his chin like Frank had just revealed some big news.

Gerard was, now that Frank had finally a moment to take the man in, a rather unconventional but attractive thing. The black of his hair was dyed and growing out, just shaggy enough to reach past his ears, and the leather jacket felt natural rather than statement worthy. 

He was looking at Frank like he was expecting an answer, “You okay?”, he said. “I asked if maybe you knew my brother, he’s about the same age as you, tall. His name’s Mikey.”

Frank wondered a minute, “Yeah maybe, sounds familiar. We’ve uh, I go to the catholic school a town up so I don’t really know a lot of the kids around here.”

“Huh,” Gerard said, “Good kid, you’d like him, I think.”

They fell into brief but not uncomfortable quiet before Gerard made to leave asking if Frank would be around, of course he would, and to take care and be safe getting home, of course he would. 

It was late enough that Frank’s uncle offered to just drive him, sitting in the back of the rustic pickup truck down backend roads wasn’t comfortable. But it was faster than walking.

**

The next evening Frank had another shift as dishwasher in his uncle’s bar, he’d been on cleanup duty under the table, stealing sips from unfinished mugs since he was 15. But, last week the other guy quit, and Uncle Louis figured it was easier to hire within the family than have to go through the trouble of trusting someone new.

The job wasn’t glamorous but it was straightforward and he got tips. As he loaded the next bin in through the machine and closed the side, he popped his head out of the kitchen door to see the patronage. Not too busy, he shrugged to himself, may as well go for a smoke break. 

It was then that he spotted Gerard, made eye contact with him all by accident and everything. The guy was alone again, ‘poor dude’ thought Frank. 

He weaseled his lighter out of his pocket and waved it in suggestion. Gerard smiled and nodded, making a beeline for the kitchen door while no one else was looking. Frank dragged him in by the coat sleeve and laughed silently to himself, this was so stupid.

They made it through the dish and prep area to the back door in 30 seconds flat, Frank guiding Gerard by his jacket the whole time. They stood beneath a short canopy, and Frank hadn’t factored in the fact it was pissing rain and freezing despite it being summer.

“Nice uniform,” Gerard said, oddly breathy.

“Ha-ha,” Frank drawled sarcastically, he brought out the pack from his back pocket and checked to see if it had gotten wet. Miraculously, it hadn’t, so he took out a stick and thrust it into Gerard’s face, offering.

“M’good,” Gerard said, revealing an inner jacket pocket and taking out his own, lighting it too.

Frank shrugged, more for him, thank god. They stood in easy silence for a moment, drinking in the weather and the faint heat that the kitchen seeped through the back door.

Frank turned to look at Gerard, meeting his gaze with a small smile, “I fucking hate this shit.”, he gestured out vaguely to indicate the downpour.

“It’s not so bad,” Gerard shrugged, “I tend to get a lot more work done on days like this.”

Frank raised an eyebrow and released a lungful of smoke, “Oh, yeah? What do you do?”

“Mostly freelance,” Gerard said, “I write a lot of like, articles for technology magazines since that’s kind of the buzz right now. Used to do a wrestling column back in high school.”

“No, shit. That’s actually kinda cool.”, Frank said, and was surprised to find that he meant it, “You get to like, make your own hours?”

“Yeah, it’s not bad at all.”, Gerard nodded.

“Sick,” Frank said. 

A few moments passed before Frank finished his cigarette and figured he should get back to work. He sent Gerard back out to the floor with a promise to text him asap.

Frank went home that night with no post-work buzz, but he did have a phone number.


End file.
